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Rangers select three players on first day of 2013 First-Year Player Draft

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The Texas Rangers selected three players on Day 1 of the 2013 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft.

With its first round selection in the first round, the 23rd overall pick, Texas selected right-handed pitcher Alex Gonzalez of Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The club chose SS Travis Demeritte out of Winder-Barrow High School in Winder, Georgia with the 30th overall pick in the first round. In the second round, Texas selected right-handed pitcher Akeem Bostick out of West Florence High School in Florence, South Carolina with the 62nd overall pick.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Gonzalez went 9-5 with a 1.83 ERA (23 ER/113.1 IP) and 126 strikeouts against 27 walks in 15 starts for the Golden Eagles as a junior in 2013. His 126 strikeouts were the second-most in the nation during the regular season. The 21-year-old Gonzalez was named the 2013 Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year, the second time he has won his conference's pitcher of the year award. In 2011, Gonzalez won the Summit League Pitcher of the Year award as a freshman was named a 2011 NCBWA Freshman All-American. Gonzalez was previously an 11th-round pick by the Orioles in 2010 out of Boca Raton High School in Boca Raton, Fla. before opting to attend Oral Roberts.

The Rangers had acquired the 23rd pick as compensation for Josh Hamilton signing as a free agent with the Los Angeles Angels.

The Rangers have selected a college player with their first selection for the first time since 2008 and the 23rd time in 42 seasons in Texas. It is the 13th time Texas has selected a right-handed pitcher with the first pick, the last being Blake Beavan in 2007. Gonzalez is the 10th college right-hander selected in club history and first since Thomas Diamond in 2004.

The 18-year-old Demeritte batted .404 (36-89) with 42 runs, 7 doubles, a triple, 12 home runs, 37 RBI, and 5 stolen bases for Winder-Barrow High School in Winder, Georgia. The 6-foot, 178-pounder set a Winder-Barrow school record with 32 career home runs. Baseball America tabbed the shortstop as its 11th-best high school position player in the draft and 23rd-best position player overall. Demeritte has committed to the University of South Carolina.

Bostick, a 6-foot-5, 185-pound right-hander, was a perfect 10-0 with a 0.62 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 56 innings over 11 games at West Florence High School in Florence, South Carolina. He also hit .316 with four homers and 15 RBI to help his school win the region title. A three-sport athlete at West Florence, Bostick is committed to Georgia Southern to play baseball as well as wide receiver. His cousin, Brandon Bostick, is a tight end for the Green Bay Packers.